The Wall That Heals brings Vietnam Veterans Memorial replica to Billings

The Billings stop is one of 31 communities selected for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s 2026 national tour. The exhibit honors the more than 3 million Americans who served in the U.S. armed forces during the Vietnam War and bears the names of the 58,281 men and women who died in Vietnam, according to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.

Tim Tetz, site manager with The Wall That Heals, said Billings was selected after local organizers applied more than a year ago, among 153 communities that sought to host the exhibit.

“The wonderful thing about The Wall That Heals is it brings the experience that you have at the wall in Washington, D.C. to your community,” Tetz said. “Montana is a very patriotic state. A lot of men and women went off to serve in the military and have returned here, especially during the Vietnam generation, and so this gives them the opportunity to gather to tell their family and friends: I serve beside these guys.”

The trailer that holds the 375 foot replica turns into a “mobile museum,” said Tetz. The body of the vehicle features a timeline and historical context of the wall and the Vietnam War, photos of local service members whose names are on the wall, veterans honored through the In Memory program and examples of items left at the memorial in Washington, D.C.

Throughout this week, Tetz’s team will provide more than five guided tours to help people understand the war, how the war led to the development of the memorials, and how “the memorial changed the way that we deal with veterans today,” he said.

According to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, many Vietnam veterans returned to a divided country with “no national show of gratitude” and were often “ignored or shouted at and called vicious names,” leading some to avoid telling new friends and acquaintances about their service in Vietnam. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said a congressionally requested study later found that as many as 15% of Vietnam veterans had post-traumatic stress disorder.

“We take for granted today that little kids walk up to service members or veterans and say, ‘Thank you for your service,’ but that was because the Vietnam veterans said, ‘Hey, no one's going to be treated like we were treated when we came back.’’’Tetz said. “They've transformed the way our nation treats our service members and veterans, and that happens each and every week throughout the country, but Billings being in one of the great patriotic states, we see that in great numbers here.”

In Billings, a display will highlight “Hometown Heroes” from Yellowstone County and nearby areas. Tetz said the exhibit will include information on 15 service members from Yellowstone County whose names are on the wall, along with 30 others from nearby. The display will show their names, hometowns, dates of birth, dates of casualty, branches of service and photographs.

Visitors will also see information about 44 local veterans honored through the In Memory program, which recognizes Vietnam veterans who returned home and later died as a result of causes connected to their service, including illness or other lasting effects of the war.

Tetz said the Wall’s 24-hour schedule is important because some visitors, especially Vietnam veterans, may prefer to come during quieter hours.

“Many of the people from the Vietnam generation or others don’t want to be amongst others when they go,” Tetz said. “It’s that pain. It’s the fact that they put it off for decades, and they want to be able to process it in their own time and have that moment.”

The wall will be lit at night, and organizers plan to sound taps at sunset. On Friday night, a special “light the night” event is scheduled to recognize Vietnam veterans who came home with lasting effects from the war, including Agent Orange exposure and PTSD. Tetz said the wall will be lit in orange for the occasion, "In honor of all the men and women who came back that are living or who have lived in our communities around Billings.”

The Billings visit began Tuesday with a motorcycle escort from Laurel to Will James Middle School led by American Legion Riders Post 119.

“Many of us know those Vietnam veterans, when they came back…they got spit on, they got called names, they were ostracized from their communities when they hit their service for years,” Tetz said during his escort ceremony speech. “This is our opportunity to make certain that they get that homecoming parade they didn't get… that opportunity to give them that long, slow parade into town.”

The wall will be assembled by volunteers Wednesday. Tetz said it takes roughly 40 to 50 volunteers to set up the memorial and another 40 to 50 to take it down Sunday afternoon. During the exhibit’s public hours, volunteers will work in shifts around the clock, helping visitors find names, make rubbings and understand the displays.

This is the third time Billings has hosted The Wall That Heals, something Tetz said few communities have done. Returning to Billings, he said, brings back stories of young men who left Montana to serve and never came home.

After the Wall leaves Billings, Tetz said he hopes the community is left with more than the memory of a four-day event.

“The stories, the healing, the education, to realize that this 50-year war made a ripple on America,” he said. “As we celebrate the 250 anniversary of our nation — this was a big part of that, but this changed the way we look at war and changed the way we look at our veterans and those who are currently serving.”